Visit US Friday December 6 & 13 on the Square in Greencastle.

     We will set up on the square at the side of the Susquehanna Bank building between 5:15 and 5:30 to hand out hot chocolate, cookies and brownies.  If you would like to donate some goodies, oar just meet some of our leaders, we will see you then.  We will be there until we run out of food and drink, or it gets too cold ---

Take action against Sen Alloway's "Private School" Bill

In a message dated 11/21/2013 10:08:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, spicka@pa.net writes:

Hi Sheri, Pete, Garrett, and Sheldon,

I hope that you’re all doing well. Would you be willing to share this op-ed from the PO with your email groups? Alloway has co-sponsored charter school legislation that would allow a university to authorize a charter school, that would then be able to set up shop in our community and send us the bill. Brick-and-mortar charter schools would not need the approval of local taxpayers or school boards and they would be opening in Franklin County in no time if this legislation passes.

If this charter school legislation passes, it will be the end of any child in Franklin County having a chance to go to a good traditional public school. It will also mean never ending property tax increases as taxpayer fund even more schools.

The charter lobby, which has funded Corbett’s campaign, wants to get this through because they know their time is running out. Would you please ask people to call Alloway’s office and just say, “Oppose Senate Bill 1085. We can’t afford to pay for charter schools that are authorized by a private entity that isn’t even in our community.” His phone number is 264-6100. Please share far and wide.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/opinion/ci_24575352/alloway-charter-school-bill-bad-time-terrible-idea

Thank you!

Susan

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2014 Senate Elections

     The Republicans keep talking about a huge Senate landslide in 2014.  The Democrats are allegedly overleveraged with too many seats that they picked up with the 2008 Obama swing year.  That's actually really humorous.  The reason is because they were saying the exact same thing in 2012.  I remember about a year ago I was watching FOX News (a horrible habit I find myself doing every once and again, you'll have to forgive me) and Karl Rove was going on and on, (practically taking a victory lap six months before the polls opened) about how bad the Democrats were going to lose the Senate, and how Romney was going to come in with a landslide and pick up every swing state and Senate seat in that state.  But that's not what happened. 

     Except for Nevada, every swing state sent a Democrat to the United States Senate.  Even some Republican states like North Dakota and Montana that were supposed to send Reds to Washington sent Dems.  Now the exact same pollsters are saying the exact same thing again.  "Too many seats.  Huge Republican year." say the strategists.  But this doesn't line up with the facts.  The four southern states with Dem senators are likely to retain them due to a combination of weak challengers, moderate records, and unpopular Republican policies from their state legislators and Governors. 
     Alaska is likely to keep Senator Begich.  His challengers include the failed 2010 candidate, the Lieutenant Governor, and Sarah Palin, all of which he beats in the polls.  It does look like Montana and South Dakota will be lost as Senators Baucus and Johnson retire and don't look like the nominees will be strong enough to win.  I'm somewhat optimistic.  I believe that with enough funding, good messaging and a strong campaign a good Democrat can win anywhere in the country. 

     There is still a possibility the Democratic Party can pick up any seats that are lost and call the whole cycle a wash.  Georgia is looking like it is going to have what I call a “Tea Party Primary,” or a TPP.  The TPP has one and only one rule.  Out-crazy your opponent.  And wow, do the three main Republicans running have that!  On the other hand the likely Democratic nominee will be Michelle Nunn, a non-for-profit founder (not as prestigious as Bain Capital, but still a good job) and the daughter of a popular former Senator.  The statements the likely GOP nominee will have to say to win a midterm primary will have to be so outrageous that they’ll turn-off thousands of people who would have  otherwise voted  for them.  That coupled with the nominee will be a sitting member of the Congress with a 10% approval rating will bring along the baggage that they are part of problem with Washington, and moving them across the Capitol building probably won’t do much.

     Kentucky may even drop Mitch McConnell in exchange for his Democratic opponent.  Minority leaders have been defeated before.  It can be done again.

They Don't Care

          Republican’s don’t care about the deficit.  They've proven this time and time again.  Yet for whatever reason, they refuse to see it, and the people that vote for them refuse to see it.  Whether you look at spending or revenue, nothing they believe delivers serious reductions in deficits, and nearly everything exacerbates it.  Whether it is tax policy or fiscal policy, they manage to run on deficit “reduction” policies that actually increase the deficit. 

There are two schools of Conservative thought on tax policy.  One says that rates should be cut, and to compensate for this loss of revenue by closing tax loopholes.  Sounds wonderful, even I think that is a good idea.  However they never state which loopholes they will close…ever.  This was a problem for Governor Romney in the last campaign.  A $5 Trillion dollar tax cut probably should have mentioned some way to pay for it.  It’s not even like it is difficult to find loopholes.  A recent CBO report found that there is $900 billion in tax expenditures in the Individual Income tax system alone.  The House Republicans on the Budget Committee (I presume not wanting to be upstaged by Governor Romney) has put forward a plan to drain nearly $6 Trillion in revenue.  Surprisingly, they have not put forward any way to pay for it, either though closing loopholes or reducing spending.  It is nothing more than a talking-point they use to trick simple-minded people into voting for them.  “Reduce rates!” “Close loopholes!” “Tax simplification!”  Those terms do poll very well and sound nice in 30-second ads.  However, their talking points are never translated into policy, and they have no intention of ever translating them into policy.  It is a quick way to add some more debt, and nothing more. 

The second idea is a flat tax.  A fairly basic principle, all people should pay the same percentage of their income.  Whether you are a member of the Walton family and hold more wealth than the bottom 40% of Americans, or you work at Wal-Mart and need food stamps to feed your child, you will pay the same “X”% of your income.  The idea of a flat tax sounds wonderful to them.  Pry a little deeper.  What rate do they want to set it at?  They really don’t know.  Steve Forbes' Presidential campaign was well known for his proposed rate of 17%.  The conservative Heritage Foundation has recently proposed a rate of 28%.  I've had someone tell me the comically low rate of 6% to replace all Federal revenue.  There are only two real places to set the rate.  Either so low that large sums of revenue from wealthy and well-off people is lost, and permanent deficits are created.  Or, a rate that is so high that it discourages economic activity and consumption due to middle and lower class people having a tax bill increased so immensely that it hinders their ability to purchase, invest, and save. Either way, everyone else in the country is giving up something so the wealthiest can have more.  If the rate is low, a debt crisis becomes more likely and more imminent from the lack of revenue.  If it is too high, the rich will still most likely see a tax cut, and everyone else in the country will end up having to pay more for their tax cuts.  This has already begun to happen in nations with a flat tax, which have adopted regressive Value-Added Taxes  (VAT) on the people.  

The Republicans have long painted themselves as the proponents of a smaller government and cuts in government spending.  It is true that the incumbent Republican Governors have been practicing a miniature American austerity; however, at the federal level they consistently fail to deliver.  When the Republicans held complete control in Washington from 2003-2006, federal spending increased by nearly $600 billion dollars, or by about 26%.  Even if you ignore the increase in defense spending (there was a war after all) you still have a federal government that grew by 24%.  They never have any way to cut federal spending because the dirty secret is that Republicans actually don’t know what they want to cut.  Ask them.  Do they want to cut education? Defense? Veteran’s benefits? Social security? Medicare? Infrastructure?  Anything?  They only want to cut social welfare spending.  With a 10-year deficit of $6.3 Trillion dollars, they want to cut that, and almost nothing else.  Even if all income security programs were to be cut in half, the savings over 10-years would be $1.6 Trillion, which wouldn't even cover the multi-trillion dollar tax cuts that they want. 

The Worst Socialist Ever

     Since 2009…The Dow Jones is up 68%. S&P is up 120%. The NASDAQ is up 145%. Private health insurance companies will be gaining 22,000,000 million new customers.  The people that advocated for single-payer during the healthcare reform debates were arrested.  Corporate profits rose 72% and are currently at a record high, while federal revenue from corporations is at a record low.  Federal revenue as a size of the economy in general is at a 50-year low.  There are a record number of Millionaires.  The wealthiest 1% gained 93% of all the income growth.  Government employment is down 651,000 (compare that to the first-term average of the last three Republican presidents, which was 628,000 new government employees). The number of industries nationalized has been 0.  Federal spending has gone flat, and Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid have all been put on the table numerous times…
This means one of two things…

 1)  Barack Obama is NOT a Socialist and Republicans simply call him one because they don’t know what socialism is, or choose to manipulate the blind fear of an ideology that is not very well understood by the general populace, and their base. OR

 2)  Barack Obama is the worst Socialist EVER. 

Serious Question

            What makes a cult?  Isn’t the only thing that requires fanaticism a rejection of reality and a stringent line on ideological positions to the point that it alienates people?  I only ask because if that’s all it takes could you think of anything more exemplary of the modern Conservative Movement?  It is one thing to have legitimate differences in policy, in any successful democratic-republic differences in ideology and different ideas are bound to happen and should be accepted and debated.  However, they do not merely disagree; they flat out don’t care about the facts.  Climate Change?  Despite all of the objective research, it is a hoax, and a plot by environmentalists to attack the poor and long oppressed oil companies.  Tax cuts?  Obviously increase revenue every single time, despite the ones of 2001 and 2003 failing to.  Tax increases on the rich?  They kill jobs, ignoring of course that one tax increase President Clinton enacted and those 20 Million jobs that were created afterward.  What about that Weimar/Zimbabwe-style hyperinflation that was bound to happen after the Stimulus was enacted like Glenn Beck was shouting about?  Does it matter that the annual inflation rates in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 have all been consistent with the historic average, if not lower?  Not if you’re a conservative.  I honestly should begin consider this political philosophy for myself.  Doing actual research is one thing, but is just so damn time consuming.  Wouldn’t it be much easier if I could just sit back, relax, and let Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity shout at me what to think?  Maybe.  But I’ll continue to think for myself.

Republicans

     Republicans don't hate government.  They use the same services.  They drive the same roads.  They send their kids to the same schools.  They drink the same none contaminated water & air.  They draw from and have relatives that draw from Social Security and Medicare.  No they don't hate government.  Instead they hate things that the government does for other people.  If someone else gets sick, it's not the government's responsibility to ensure that they have access to adequate medical care.  If someone doesn't have a job, they are a lazy dependent if they seek to draw unemployment insurance, but when they are unemployed, government assistance is a critical.  I could go on but every single Republican position on every single issue can be summed up in one sentence.

                                                              I've got mine.  Forget You.

IKE ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND SAFETY NET PROGRAMS!

General Eisenhower had it right YEARS AGO!

HS Essay Contest Winners Honored for 2012

FRANKLIN COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
PRESENTS ESSAY AWARDS

Greencastle,PA.

At an Awards Ceremony at Casey’s in Greencastle, PA, on Monday October
15 @ 7:00 PM,  Franklin County Democratic Committee (FCDC) Chairman Steve Harris
presented the winners of the ” Let Freedom Ring” High School essay contest, “Why Don’t All
Young People Vote?” with cash awards.

Cameron Schroy of Greencastle-Antrim High School took top honors
with Savannah Fritz also from Greencastle-Antrim High School second place and Alexander
Buback, of Chambersburg High School with third place.

In his winning essay Schroy concluded, “Youth will vote if they see leaders that put forth
solutions to political and economic problems that affect them. To increase the turnout rate
among younger voters Election Day could be moved to Saturday from Tuesday, and declared
a national holiday, so that youth could cast their ballot without fear of interfering with any
obligation they may otherwise have.”

Shroy received $300, Fritz, $150 and Buback $50 for their winning entries from Chairman
Harris, who said, ”The youth of this nation need to be involved in the decisions made today
that will affect theirs and future generations to come. The quality of writing and thoughtfulness
put into these essays gives me confidence in the future of America”.

Also participating in the presentation wereFranklin County Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski, Chambersburg Mayor Pete Lagiovone, FCDC members and friends and families of the contest winners.

NEW YORK TIMES FACT CHECKING ON DEBATE ONE

Romney is being portrayed as the winner of the debate by much of the media - BUT, he continued to promote lies and not provide details about his so called "plans".  Here is an excellent morning after analysis by the respected New York Times with lots of other useful links and updates.

CLICK HERE TO READ!

Bill Nye, the Science Guy on Creationism

     Bill thinks you as an adult are free to believe what you want about the origins of life.  BUT, he believes, as do I, that it is not fair to teach creationism to our children! This puts them at a disadvantage in learning science, and our country is already falling behind many other countries in this educational area so vital to our future.  See the article and video by clicking HERE!

Posted independently by Lee Scott, editor and former NASA scientist.

Romney - An Environmental Disaster!

If you thought Gov. Corbett's ties to the natural gas industry are bad, LOOK AT THIS!  Romney announces intention to END federal regulation of oil and natural gas drilling!  CLICK HERE TO READ!
Just this week, the oil and gas industry gave nearly $10 million toward the Romney election effort in two fund-raisers.

Why Balanced Budget Is NOT a Good Idea Right Now!

“It’s amazing how quickly the deficit went from around $160 billion in 2007 to over $1 trillion in the last several years,” lamented Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a fiscally conservative advocacy group. “But the economic consensus is you don’t want a balanced budget in these times because it would slow the economic recovery. So even most traditional deficit hawks – myself included – would still say that until the economy recovers, you don’t want to get carried away with tax increases or spending cuts.”

Read more at http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/08/23/Why-Serious-Talk-of-Balancing-the-Budget-Went-Bust.aspx#2GcxSMUL3derqiZ1.99

Posted by editor, Lee Scott

Why We Must All Vote!

A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that an estimated 90 million people won't vote this fall. That's more than a quarter of the population of the United States.
You -- or someone you know -- may be one of those 90 million choosing not to vote. Voting is not compulsory. America is a free country. A free country honored by 1.3 million soldiers who've died since 1775 defending our nation and our precious right to vote.
It's also the same free country that today saw thousands of immigrants line up for their newly granted relief from deportation --immigrants desperately wanting to stay in America, to be citizens of America, to vote in America. Immigrants who were brought here at great risk and great cost just for a chance to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities built upon our right to vote.

If you're one of those 90 million people, you can certainly choose to reject that right, for whatever reason. You might think you're too busy to vote; or that the partisan fighting makes you nauseous; or maybe you feel your vote doesn't count. But let me tell you: If you're staying at home because you're disgusted by the negative tone of the campaign; or you believe both sides run the same vile, lying, attack ads; or because you're turned off by politics: Congratulations, you are fulfilling someone else's agenda. You are following their plan to the letter.

The right is working very, very hard this election, spending record amounts of money, for the purpose of having you decide not to vote. They are desperate for you to stay home. They are spending money on ads. They are spending money on voter suppression. They are spending money on letting you know they are spending money so that it disgusts you; so that you're turned off by the whole awful spectacle they've created. They have the champagne on ice, ready to pop the cork on election night when you opt out.
Not voting isn't just sitting it out. Not voting is giving in.
A 'no vote' is really a 'yes' vote for Romney, Ryan, Adelson and the Koch brothers.
If that's what you want, go for it. But if you actually care about the precious right to vote -- now and in the future -- then go register and go vote. And please take one or two of the 90 million with you.

Submitted by Lee Scott, editorOriginally aired on "War Room with Jennifer Granholm." "The War Room" airs weeknights at 9 EST on Current TV.

Ryan the Best Choice for Obama's Campaign!

This is an excerpt from the blog by writer and film maker, Mitchel Bard.  Please use these talking points with everyone you know!

"By picking Ryan, Romney is telling the American people what they can really expect if he wins: The end of Medicare as we know it, the privatization of Social Security, massive tax cuts for the wealthy, tax increases for the middle class, and a general approach to governing that considers the wealthy and corporations first, and everyone else not at all. That is Romney's true religion. And by choosing Ryan, he has decided to run for the White House with the very symbol of these far-right economic policies."

And so with regard to Romney:

"He doesn't care about the middle class. He doesn't care about women's rights. He doesn't care about those who aren't doing as well in the current economy. He only cares about cutting taxes for the wealthy, cutting spending and providing an environment for the rich to get richer while income inequality gets worse, the middle class continues to collapse and the ranks of the unemployed and working poor swell to Hoover-era levels. In embracing Ryan, he is casting his lot with a public figure who has aggressively fought to redistribute wealth upward, from the working and middle classes to the very wealthiest."

Source:  The Huffington Post, August 13, 2012

Submitted by our blog editor, Lee Scott, Greencastle, PA

New Franklin County Democratic Officers Announced

     Steve Harris, a retired Episcopalian Pastor from Waynesboro, has been elected as the new President of the Franklin County Democratics after the resignation of Paul Politis of Greencastle, PA.  Sheldon Schwartz of the Antrim one precinct of Antrim township has been elected to fill Steve's past position of 2nd vice chair.

    Paul has spent many hours the last two years juggling both politics and business, and the club thanks him for his great efforts.

   Steve's capable wife, Becky, currently serves as secretary to the organization and is on the website committee.

Volunteers Needed To Hand Out Candidate Cards on the 24th at Polling Places

See Sheri for Cards for both Karen and Sheldon that show voters how to write them in and fill in the oval!

April 15 ISSUEKAREN RAMSBURG FOR CONGRESS NEWSLETTER FOR VOLUNTEERS

We're going down to the wire.  Only 5 days to go to get Karen on the way to the U. S. Congress.  It appears that we will have people on the ground handing out cards at polling places in each of the 11 counties that make up the 9th Congressional District.  

There is still time to find volunteers!  for example, 

FAYETTE COUNTY:  Karen is going to Fayette County, the far Western end of the district, on Tuesday to meet people there and hand out cards.  There is another precinct out there that needs to be covered so she would like some people to there with her to coordinate that effort....this is new territory for a 9th CD candidate to nail down.  Anybody like to go along?  It's a long ride with a future congressman and a chance to help open this new crucial territory....Fayette has 65% Democratic registration, the only large county in th 9th not to be overwhelming republican, and it is the largest population in the district, followed by Blair and Franklin. Please contact Karen if you would like to go with her to Fayette County on Primary Day.  

SPECIAL TO FRANKLIN CONTY:  

Daryll Vance is doing a great job of assigning volunteers in Franklin.  Kathie and Ray and I are going to cover a polling place in Franklin even though we live in Fulton County.....since the precinct we are going to cover has more voters that any in our county we can get more votes for Karen there than we can here.  But we have to leave at 4 to our volunteers in Fulton County.  We need someone to volunteer to cover the 4 - 8 PM shift at the polling place in Chambersburg, 435 Stanley.  If you can do this, please call Darrel at 717 491 4262 phone or email at vdarrel@comcast.net>.  We don't want to leave that important polling place uncovered! 

Franklin volunteers are still needed to cover polling places in Waynesboro and St Thomas fire hall.  If you can cover these let Derryl know at 717 491 4262 
phone or email at vdarrel@comcast.net>.  

OTHER COUNTIES:  If you have special needs for volunteers at uncovered polling places, let us know how we can help!  

SHORT MESSAGE FROM KAREN:  As a nurse, mother, and activist, Karen plans to restore the American Dream by: purging corruption from federal politics and reclaiming the rights of the people; rebuilding US manufacturing, with real jobs at real livable wages; protecting our land and water, and a fair deal for our landowners; delivering quality, affordable healthcare, where the people and their doctors—not Big Government or big insurance conglomerates—make decisions; and re-investing in public schools to provide top notch education to our children. Write in Karen Ramsburg on the April 24^th primary and darken the oval !!! Let’s put people before politics and defeat Bill Shuster in November!!! Thanks, Karen!

FEBRUARY POTLUCK - TIME AND LOCATION!

Potluck and Petition Signing Held Feb 8 at Trinity Lutheran
Church in Greencastle

The food was great-fresh fruit, hot dishes including Paul's meat balls, and even ice cream to go with Lee's homemade cookies. And the salads-outstanding!
Don't miss this event next year for sure.
Photo below shows some of our members enjoying both the food and each other's company at one of the five eating tables. It is so wonderful to connect with our fellow "informed" neighbors at these events.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Why Liberals and Conservatives React to Science Differently

  This new article brings up some interesting issues in bridging gaps in understanding and communication in our increasingly polarized society.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
chris-mooney/why-republicans-deny-scie_b_1196823.html

   I hope that all of you who are working for "change" might benefit from the perspective of this writer, a perspective which I found helpful and worthy of further study. Recently someone related a conversation to me about her showing a book to an elementary age school girl in the presence of her religiously conservative parents and being tool to put it away because "We don't believe in global warming".

   As a former NASA scientist who strongly believes in educating our children not only about the concepts and facts of science, but also in the mature thinking processes that lead to good analysis of issues and the ability to conceive (and test) new theories, I am continually frustrated by the challenges of communicating with those who prefer, not only prefer, but seem to be wired, to live their lives with blinders on.  And some of these individuals seem quite intelligent.

   To quote from the article,

   "Here's the bottom line: An increasing body of science suggests that we disagree about politics not for intellectual or philosophical reasons, but because we have fundamentally different ways of responding to the basic information presented to us by the world. These are often ways of which we are not even aware--automatic, subconscious--but that color all of our perceptions, and that effectively drive us apart politically."This jibes with what I have been saying for some time-  You can't change minds unless you deal with the emotional framework involved.  And here in Franklin County, PA,  THAT can be a huge challenge.

Blessings to all
Lee Scott